Just a Little Late
by annoyingbabyduck
Summary: Fred Weasley is the only one of the Weasley clan that plans to be get married, and hasn't yet. But then he meets little Leo Cartwright in his shop one day, and realizes that he is the son of one of his old classmates, Macy. Is this the 'right girl' that Fred has been searching for?


Fred climbed down the burrow stairs, reaching the breakfast table he saw his dad, reading a newspaper.

"Morning, Dad." Fred said, taking a seat next to him.

"Morning Freddie." Arthur Weasley said, looking up at his son.

After several minutes of sitting in silence with his son he couldn't take it anymore. "Son, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, anything dad." Fred said reaching to the middle of the table, grabbing a piece of fruit.

"Do you plan on being like Charlie?" Arthur said.

"What do you mean, Dad?" Fred asked his father.

"Well its just Charlie's chosen to be alone. You are the only one who hasn't made up their mind yet." Arthur said.

"Look dad, I'll get married soon. I just got to find the right girl." Fred said, looking to the window as Ginny's owl tapped on its window vigorously. He went to open the window retrieved the letter. He looked to the name it was addressed to.

"Whose it from, Freddie?" Arthur asked.

"Ginny and Harry, to me." Fred said sitting on the lounge chair.

"Molly, Ginny and Harry have written to Freddie." Arthur yelled up the stairs.

_Dear Freddie, _  
_Hello brother! How are you lately? Harry's taking Teddy into town today to get his school supplies for his first year at Hogwarts, will you be at the shop today? Albus will be going with them and he wishes to see you._  
_Ginny_

Looks like he'd have to get there early today. He took out his best quill and a piece of parchment and said the words out loud as he wrote.

"Dear Gin, of course I will be in the shop today as I am everyday. Tell Harry, Albus, and Teddy they are welcome to drop in at anytime, Fred." Fred folded the parchment and sent it off with the owl.

He picked up his workbag and said ado to his parents and used the Floo network to get to Diagon Alley. Once he reached the shop he found George asleep at his desk again in their office. He flickered the light on and shook him softly.

"Georgie, come on." Fred whispered in his brother's ear.

"Oh god, how long have I been here?" George rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"When did you get here?" Fred asked him.

"About 7 this morning." George stated.

"About 3 hours." Fred said, and George plopped his head back on the desk.

"Roxanne giving you trouble again?" Fred said, leaning on his desk.

"She just will not sleep." George cried out, hands covering his face.

"Georgie, why not sleep in the office this morning, and you can have the afternoon shift." Fred said, conjuring up a bed.

"Really Freddie?" George looked at him with his sleepy but thankful eyes.

"Yep go." Fred said tapping his head as he left the room.

The shop was fairly slow today, and it was about two when Harry came in. There was an eleven year old boy with blue hair standing next to him as he carried a four year old with green eyes and short black hair.

"Well if it isnt Harry Potter, and Teddy Lupin. I see you've brought James with ya, eh?" Fred smiled, jokingly messing up Albus' name on purpose just to watch the four year old react.

"I'm Albus." He pointed to himself, and frowned.

Fred picked the boy out of Harry's arms and starting to shake him slightly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes Uncle Freddie." Albus said laughing.

"Well you look like Albus, you talk like him. Ugh you smell like him too." Fred made a fake stench face.

He gave a kiss on his Albus' right cheek. "You taste like him, too."

He flipped Albus upside down and shook him slightly. "I guess you're Albus."

The bell to their shop rang, and Fred watched as a beautiful woman walked in with a little boy in her arms. The woman had long caramel brown hair and beautiful blue-green eyes. The boy had blue eyes and light brown hair.

"So Uncle Freddie, I'm gonna try out for Quidditch on Gryffindor." Teddy exclaimed.

Harry pulled his godson to his side, and shushed him. "Why don't we let Uncle Freddie help these customers and then we'll talk to him, okay?"

"Okay dad." Teddy said, moving to behind the counter. Fred watched as a bit of pain shot through Harry's eyes whenever Teddy called him 'dad'.

Fred made his way over to the little boy that was looking at the fireworks. His mother had drawn to the other side of the store.

"Hey there, bud." Fred placed his hand on the boy's shoulder to get his attention/

"Hi." The boy said shyly.

"I'm Fred, this is me and my brother's shop. You like it?" Fred said, kneeling to the ground.

"Yeah. It's cool." The boy smiled.

"What's your name?" Fred asked.

"Leo." The boy said simply.

"Well Leo, you like fireworks?" Fred asked and the boy nodded his head.

Fred picked up one of the wands on the shelf, looked at it for a minute to make sure it was the right one, and then handed it to Leo.

"Give it wave, Leo. See what happens." Fred smiled.

Leo flicked the wand and bright red and gold fireworks emerged from the wand and the fireworks made a lion. "Cool a lion."

"Yep Leo means lion." Fred said.

Leo waved it and watched the fireworks once more before he placed it back on the shelf. Fred however took it back off the shelf, and handed it to Leo.

"Here, you can have it." Fred smiled.

"Really!" Leo exclaimed.

Fred nodded, that's when he heard her voice. It was soft yet a little high. "Leo!"

Leo turned around and they were met by the same woman. She came up to Leo and picked him up.  
She took the wands out of Leo's hands and tried to hand it back to Fred."I'm so sorry, he's only four."

"No, its his. On me." Fred smiled.

"Well Fred Weasley, you haven't changed a bit, have you?" The woman smiled.

"I'm sorry." Fred said as she appeared to know him.

"Macy, Macy Cartwright. We were first year potions partners." She smiled.

"Macy! So good to see you. You moved to Beauxton out third year and you barely right. You look much different now." Fred smiled and used to this time to look at her hand, no ring.

"Hey, me and Leo were just heading to lunch want to come with?" She asked with a shy smile.

"Of course, would you mind waiting a couple minutes while I talk to my brother-in-law?" Fred had a gut feeling that she wouldn't but he had to ask.

"Of course, Fredster." She joked with the nickname she'd called him first smiled happily, and didn't even care if she watched him hop over the counter.

"Why are you so happy?" Harry asked his brother-in-law.

"Reason, got to wake up Georgie,its his shift." Fred smiled.

"Where are you off to Uncle Fred?" Teddy asked him.

"I've got a date. You all stop by the Burrow later and talk more." Fred said, making his way to his and his brothers' office. His brother was sleeping soundly on the couch. He almost felt bad to wake him up.

He smacked the top of his head, and smiled. "Georgie get up."

"Why!?" George fluttered his eyes open and looked at his brother in confusion.

"Macy Cartwright is outside and she's asked me on a date." Fred exclaimed and George sprung up.

"Macy? The Slytherin?" George's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Yeah!" He exclaimed.

"Well get out of here, you." George smacked his arm and Fred laughed.

"Thanks bro!" Fred called leaving the office, and his brother followed to see Harry, Teddy, and Albus standing at the counter.

"Hey George, hows Ange and the kids?" Harry asked.

"Fine. Roxy's not sleeping though and Fred keeps bugging me about how when James is coming over again." George smiled.

"Soon, mate." Harry laughed watching his brother-in-law walk up to a woman and a boy.

"Hey Mace sorry, had to wake up George." He laughed.

"I see. Leo, Fred is going to join us for lunch." Macy bent down and said to the little boy.

"Yay." The little boy clapped.

Fred picked up the little boy and placed him on his shoulder. The boy placed with Fred's hair color.  
Macy smiled and laughed at how much Leo looked excited to be with Fred. She had missed him and his brother, they were good friends. They headed to the Leaky Cauldron together.


End file.
